Job Discussion Forums

[leggeymountbatten]

By a previous HOD I worked for in Riyadh at a CoE, I was signed up to become a member of TESOL Arabia. The HOD made sure all the teacher's were signed up - he called it "professionalizing the staff."

The same HOD subsequently arranged ("Gentleman, we are today making history!") the first ever TESOL Arabia conference to be held in Riyadh. As his quoted words above show, he thought it was a significant event.

A lot of people from the world of English teaching turned up, many of them from the Middle East who took their subject seriously. The conference consisted of a speech by the HOD, then a speech by some guy selling books, and then speeches on curriculum writing, then one on blended learning. And that was it.

Everybody was asked to leave. Some of the Saudis had traveled from Jeddah to attend and they expressed their disappointment. As the event was labelled a conference, they expected I think a bit more interaction ie some workshops where people could feed their own knowledge and experience into the event. As it was, it was a bit of a washout.

Subsequently, the HOD and several teachers went to Dubai to the annual TESOL Arabia gathering to recruit teachers. They came back more or less empty handed. The trip had been expensive for the college, but not much had come out of it. The money could have been better spent in other ways attracting good caliber personnel to the college.

Is this anyone else's experience of TESOL Arabia? Or are there more positive stories?

[scot47]

I found KSAALT to be better. (ie KSA Association of Language Teachers) They too had a disturbing tendency of parachuting in "Experts" whose expertise was questionable but they also put on local events utilising local talents.

[veiledsentiments]

[Lord T]

Leggey, I attended the debacle that you mentioned. There was only one person to blame and he is the one who said: 'We may be few in number, but today we are making history".

When will he realize that style over substance is not the way forward?

Having said that, there was neither style nor substance at that particular gathering.

[nomad soul]

[plumpy nut]

[Balzac]

[leggeymountbatten]

Veiledsentiments said:
It sounds to me like this group didn't have a clue as to how to interview/hire... and/or... what they had on offer had no appeal in comparison to the other jobs that were on offer at the job fair.

VS -this is close to the mark. Those who were supposed to be doing the interviewing were not professional and "didn't have a clue."

Indeed, one of interviewing delegation went AWOL for nearly the whole of the time they were there. He went off to take full advantage of what Dubai could offer. When he re-appeared the HOD didn't bat an eyelid. This is how professional it all was. As I said, the college lost of lot of money through this venture,and it was not repeated again.

[scot47]

Recruitment through TESOL International, TESOL Arabia, IATEFL and other conferences was never a great success when I was at KFUPM/HBCC. In the end the Dean in charge decided to give up that avenue of recruitment. More effective was advertuising here, on Daves, and doing interviews via Skype.

I used to joke that for serious recruiters, a foray to some of the seedier bars of Bahrain or Bangkok would be a better tactic. We could use the tactics of the 18th century press-gang.

[No Place Like Home]

I was a guest speaker at one KSAALT event a few years back. Sadly a lot of expats in Riyadh at that time had already signed up to attend an illegal desert party the same weekend, plus the HODs at a certain other institute I sent the info to did not bother to forward it to their staff... Still, it was a nice event and the people who attended were happy to listen and participate in my workshop.

I've also been to the big TESOL Arabia event in Dubai and this is defo worth the effort, I didn't have enough time to attend all the things I wanted, I made some really useful contacts, and a lot of people rate it as the best place to sign up if you are looking for a job.

[Aletheia]

[Aletheia]

[Lord T]

I remember a time when people who were promoted beyond their capability and made a mess of things, would apologize, quietly walk away, and look for a more suitable type of work.

These days however, the usual way of operating is to disappear for a period of time, re-invent themselves, and try to talk themselves into another well-paid job that is way beyond their capability.

I sense here that an attempted comeback may be on the cards.

[ttxor1]

I went a few years back. I didn't go to the job fair, as I already had a good gig. But I found the presentations I went to interesting, and networked. There are employers who would value conference presentations on an applicant's resume. I haven't been to KSAALT so can't comment or compare. But I would go again if given the opportunity, and maybe try to give a presentation.

[scot47]

Some of my colleagues were cynical and expressed resentment that we went to conferences like this. I do not listen to the naysayers and gloom-merchants !